His head’s in the game 🎮

13 questions with Kenny Vaccaro, former NFL player and Gamers First co-founder

Kenny Vaccaro standing in front of his gym, the Kollective

Kenny Vaccaro has plans to expand his work in eSports, health, and fashion in Austin. | Photo by ATXtoday

Kenny Vaccaro has had a busy year.

Since retiring from the NFL last December, the former football player for the Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, and Longhorns, has launched his own eSports company, opened a high-end South Congress gym, and kickstarted a clothing line.

We’re tired just thinking about all those projects, but Vaccaro doesn’t plan to slow down anytime soon.

Vaccaro’s Konnect store will open in a 3,500-sqft location at 1400 S. Congress Ave. early next year, and additional locations for his Kollective gym are in the works. Meanwhile, his eSports teams — called G1, or Gamers First — continue to compete in Halo and Destiny.

We toured Vaccaro’s gym, store, and eSports facility and sat down with him to learn more about his plans in Austin.

Gamers First prioritizes the mental and physical health of its athletes.

When did you first start getting interested in eSports?

Honestly, for me it’s more about gaming. I didn’t even know about eSports until probably 10 years ago. But when I was 4 years old, my brother and I used to game, kind of for escape purposes. Growing up like the way we did, we struggled, you know, but we just always enjoyed [gaming]. There was so much dopamine that I got from it that I just knew that it would be something that I would do for life.

Aside from being a former Longhorn, what drew you to Austin as the place to start this business?

When I left the NFL, I felt like I could have played two or three more years. But I knew, I just felt Austin shifting … I just knew the time was right.

Click the button below to read more about Vaccaro’s journey and how he thinks Austin could become the next big eSports city.

DIG DEEPER

Click here to have your event featured.

Wednesday, Nov. 23

Austin Area Urban League HBCU Invitational | Wednesday, Nov. 23-Thursday, Nov. 24 | 5:30 p.m. | H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, 2100 Ave. of the Stars, Cedar Park | $15+ | Austin’s Huston-Tillotson University basketball team will compete in this tournament against schools from Texas, Oklahoma, and Alabama in this first-of-its-kind event.
A Christmas Carol | Wednesday, Nov. 23-Saturday, Dec. 3 | 7:30 p.m. | ZACH Theatre, 202 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin | $25+ | Start your holiday season with this Christmas classic.

Thursday, Nov. 24

ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot | Thursday, Nov. 24 | 8:45 a.m.-12 p.m. | Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd., Austin | $15+ | This 30-year-old Thanksgiving Day race benefits Caritas of Austin, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Austinites experiencing homelessness.

Friday, Nov. 25

2nd Street District Holiday Window Walk | Friday, Nov. 25 | 12-5 p.m. | 2nd Street District, 214 Guadalupe St., Austin | Free | Professional artists will create holiday window installations for this 12th annual window walk, which starts today and lasts through December.
Dumpstaphunk’s Phunksgiving | Friday, Nov. 25-Saturday, Nov. 26 | 9 p.m. | Antone’s Nightclub, 305 E. 5th St., Austin | $30 | End the holiday week with this New Orleans-based funk band — the Michael Hale Trio is also performing.

Saturday, Nov. 26

North Loop Pop Up Market | Saturday, Nov. 26 | 10 a.m. | Beard Brand, 1000 E. 51st St., Austin | Free | Celebrate Small Business Saturday at this market featuring almost three dozen vendors, food, drinks, and music from DJ Tropicana Joe.
Junie B. Jones in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells | Saturday, Nov. 26-Sunday, Dec. 18 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | Austin Scottish Rite Theater, 207 W. 18th St., Austin | $15+ | This on-stage holiday story brings to life the beloved characters of Barbara Park’s “Junie B. Jones” childrens’ series.

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

A local (and easy) way to get a live tree 🎄

Brungot Farms gives back to the YMCA, Hope for Hunger, and Hope for Christmas as a way to spread holiday kindness. | Photo provided by Brungot Farms

Holiday cheer is in the air, Austin — it’s time to deck the halls with holiday decor. Enter: Brungot Farms, a local spot to find the perfect tree (read: no Charlie Brown trees here).

Brungot Farms makes picking a live tree easy with an online ordering option. Just select the height that you’re looking for and pick up your tree or have it delivered directly to your house. Trees are kept fresh during shipping, stored in water, and transported in a refrigerated truck.

Looking to pick your tree the old fashioned way? Head to the lot at The Twin Lakes YMCA in Cedar Park (204 E. Little Elm Trail) on weekdays from 3-7 p.m. or weekends from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. with the family to find your tree for the season. Bonus: They provide all the twine you need to tie it down for no additional charge.*

FIND YOUR TREE

Weather

66º | Thunderstorms | 81% chance of rain
Prepare for a rainy Thanksgiving, Austinites. A large storm system is expected to move across Texas today and tomorrow, with rain beginning as early as tonight and lasting through Friday morning. ⛈ (KVUE)

Civic

Most city museums, cultural centers, libraries, and recreation centers will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow. Check the city’s website for a full list of closures and altered hours.

Number

222. That’s how many Austin-based Meta employees could be laid off as part of the company’s plan to cut 11% of its workforce nationwide. Four local offices, including two downtown locations, will be impacted. (Austin Business Journal)

Health

Travis County’s flu positivity rate is more than double its normal rate for this time of the year, at 26.88% compared to an average of ~10% or lower. Find flu vaccine locations and other resources on the city’s website. (KXAN)

Coming Soon

A 64-acre beer garden with food trucks, a disc golf course, and lawn seating is headed to North Austin. What makes this news even better? The new spot will be home to a familiar favorite: Austin Beerworks. 🍺 (Eater Austin)

Cause

Jeff Bezos donated $2.5 million to the Austin Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, the organization announced yesterday. The Amazon founder’s gift will support the organization’s attempts to create non-congregate shelters, among other efforts. (KXAN)

Announced

Laura Huffman will step down from her position as CEO of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce on Sunday, Dec. 31, after more than two years in the role. The chamber board is currently working toward finding an interim CEO. (Austin Business Journal)

Plan Ahead

Guess who’s coming to town? The, the, the… the Grinch. Broadway’s record-breaking “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” musical will run at Bass Concert Hall from Tuesday, Dec. 6-Sunday, Dec. 11. Get tickets.
Just in time to ring in December, the 56th annual Zilker Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place Sunday, Nov. 27 at 5:15 p.m. Stop by Zilker Park for live music, food, and original artworks from Austin kids. 🎄

Stat

63% of first time homebuyers admitted to bidding for a home they didn’t really want. That’s nearly two in three homebuyers. Here’s why that may be.*

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

Thanksgiving side showdown🍴

A pie chart graphic breaking down the results of the ATXtoday Thanksgiving sides poll.

Man, y’all really like stuffing. | Graphic by ATXtoday

Last week we asked you what your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes are, and we’ll be honest — we thought it would be a much more heated debate than it was.

But one dish swept the competition, taking a whopping 50% of the votes. That’s right, we’re talking about turkey’s go-to sidekick: stuffing.

The runner-up dish, mashed potatoes, took 15.9% of the votes — not even close.

Here’s where the other dishes stood:

3rd place — Green bean casserole, 13.6% of the votes
4th place — Mac and cheese, 9.1% of the votes
5th place — Sweet potato casserole, 6.8% of the votes
6th place — Cranberry sauce, 0% of the votes (Sorry, cranberry sauce. We’re sure somebody loves you.)

One reader wrote in to tell us their favorite Thanksgiving side was fried chicken, and we’d just like to say we’d join that table.

Pick up your favorites — or some new dishes — from a local restaurant using our Thanksgiving dining guide.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by London.

Editor’s pick: I’m celebrating both old and new traditions this Thanksgiving. 🦃

Like always, my family and I will share what we’re grateful for after digging into our delicious feast. But this year I’ll be extra hungry, because I’ll also be participating in the downtown ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot for the first time — if it’s not rained out, that is.

What are your favorite Thanksgiving traditions? Share them with us.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? The stars have spoken — find out which Austin venue fits your astrological sign, here. 💫

Connect with us.

Editorial: Laura Figi, London Gibson, Dayten Rose, Josh Kranzberg, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Camille McLeod | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

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